Beautiful, Love
by JamSack
Summary: Anne and Frederick stop at a petrol station on their way to Lyme for their honeymoon. “I don’t worry, Frederick. Her words mean nothing to me. Knowing I have your love means more to me than anything else.” Pure and utter fairy floss fluff!


Summary: Anne and Frederick stop at a petrol station on their way to Lyme for their honeymoon. "I don't worry, Frederick. Her words mean nothing to me. Knowing I have your love means more to me than anything else." Pure and utter fairy floss fluff!

AN: there is a saddening lack of Persuasion fanfic on the internet, which I have steadily grown to love even better than Pride and Prejudice. I got this idea from the final Jag episode at the end when the barmaid says to Mac 'Figures a girl like you would be with a guy like him' or something like that. they are both very attractive people. Well Anne isn't such a female hot spunk equivalent of Frederick is she? (I'm thinking of RPJ in this one… so very hot)!

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**BEAUTIFUL, LOVE**

'Frederick, can we stop at the next petrol station', Anne Wentworth said to her new husband, as they drove along the countryside, headed for their honeymoon destination of Lyme.

'Of course, dearest.' Frederick let of the gear stick and reached for his wife's hand, kissing it fondly. Anne let out a contented sigh. 'I do love you, you know?'

'Do you indeed?' He replied in a shocked tone. 'Goodness me, if I had known that, I would not have married you.' Anne laughed at him, and leant to kiss him on the cheek. 'Pay attention to the road.'

'You know we could have flown here instead, Anne.'

'What? And miss the pleasure of a driving holiday with you?'

'But you are not the one doing the driving, are you, my love?'

Anne gave his hand a squeeze. 'I would, if I had a British licence.'

'Well that's a nice sentiment. You would have, if you had a licence. But you do not, so I must drive.'

'Well, then you must feel so glad it is me who is in the car with you, and not, let's say my sister Mary.'

Frederick indicated so he could pull the car over. 'What are you doing, Frederick?'

'This', said he as he parked the car, and kissed Anne properly. 'I am glad, my darling. So glad.'

Anne chuckled into his mouth and pulled back. 'You pull over to kiss me because you're glad I'm not Mary.' Her eyebrows were raised.

Frederick pulled her close to him. 'I swear, Anne, I will never take you for granted.' His voice shook with emotion and Anne shivered. 'Does that mean you will let me win all the arguments?' She teased.

'What arguments?' He said solemnly, kissing her fingers with reverence.

Anne run her hands through his blonde curls and kissed his forehead. 'Thankyou. Thankyou for giving me a second chance.' They lay in the car holding each other, until a horn sounded from a car, a kind passer-by checking if they needed help.

Embarrassed and slightly amused, Frederick claimed that he was only tired, and would stop at the next petrol station.

With one more long kiss, they were on the road again, and Anne urged Frederick to hurry, as their impromptu stop had made her need for the bathroom more pressing.

Thankfully, a road sign said that the nearest petrol station was only

'We'll be there soon, don't worry.'

Anne settled back into her seat and smiled blissfully. 'You know what my first thought was when we met for the first time in eight years?'

'How could I ever have let this man go?'

'That as well.' Anne smiled. 'But how good you looked, actually. Not in an 'I love you so you're beautiful' way. But you honestly looked good. You still do.'

'You should be careful, Anne. You might make me grow a big head. Then I won't be able to fit into the car and drive us places… but thankyou.' He added as an afterthought.

'If you were in danger of growing a big head, hon, I would tell you.' She chuckled. 'You said, I looked so altered that you hardly recognised me, I recall.'

'I recognised you more than I would have liked to at the time. You looked older, more careworn, I suppose. But you just reminded of how I couldn't really forget you. I'm glad I couldn't though.'

'Me too.' Anne felt her happiness overflowing and would have cheerfully pulled the car the over again for a quick embrace, but settled for squeezing his hand as he pulled into the petrol station.

They got out of the car and Anne immediately headed for the toilet block, hoping that it wasn't too bad.

'I'll go buy us a drink, Anne. What did you want?'

'A frozen coke would be perfect.' She kissed him on the cheek for thinking of her, and went inside.

Frederick went up to the counter and ordered two medium frozen cokes, with a perfectly happy grin on his face, as newlyweds are prone to.

'What makes you so happy?' The girl at the counter asked. She looked as if she had been there for a long time and was tired, but she was impeccably groomed in her uniform and makeup and was quite pretty. Not exactly what he had expected to see in a country petrol station, but refreshing none the less.

'My wife and I are on our way to Lyme for our honeymoon. Just got married a couple of days ago', he said proudly.

'Congratulations', was her automatic response, then she flashed a bright smile at him. 'No wonder you look happy.'

'Well it was eight years coming. And after all the trouble that it took for us to finally get to this point, I must say I have never been happier.'

'She must be a lucky girl then. You're quite possibly the best looking guy I have ever met. Then again, I am holed up in this piece of rubbish. We don't have a lot of variety in this small town.'

Frederick smiled at her politely, and she obligingly filled up their cups. 'Did you want anything else while you're at it, Sir? You've still got a while till you get to Lyme.'

'Yeah, I'll just grab a couple of chocolate bars and that will be it.' Frederick did so and paid for his things. 'Oh, perhaps Anne will want to pick something else up when she comes out.'

'So your wife's just at the loo then? She look nice? She must be if she ended up with someone like you.' If Frederick was disgruntled with her talk at all, he didn't show it, but took the opportunity to praise Anne. 'She is beautiful, and wonderful. Indeed, _I _am lucky to have her.' Frederick thought for a moment. 'Perhaps I should check up on her.' The girl shrugged and Frederick walked outside to the bathrooms which he suspected were not very pleasant. 'Anne, honey. Are you all right?' He knocked on the door. 'It's just that I think the girl at the counter is trying to hit on me.'

'Just a sec', she called out. He heard the sound of a tap turning on and off, and true to her word, she appeared at the door. 'Should I be jealous?' She greeted him with a grin.

'I think she's jealous of you actually. But if you're that concerned, perhaps you should have a chat with her while I go myself. If you're hungry make sure to buy something too.'

Anne left her husband at the toilet stall and with some small curiosity made her way to the counter to purchase a sausage roll. She waited for it to heat up, and gave the money to the girl. 'Hi, I just thought you should know that you need to replenish the toilet paper in one of the stalls.' Noticing the two frozen cokes on the counter accompanied by a receipt which had Frederick's bank number on it, Anne reached for hers.

'I'm sorry; I don't think that's yours.' The young woman said quite abruptly.

Anne looked confusedly at her. 'My husband was just in here and bought them. He just had to go to the bathroom.' The girl stared at her disbelieving. 'Tall, blonde curls, quite muscular. You were flirting with him apparently.'

Without a touch of shame she said, 'oh, yes that's him. I'm sorry I was just expecting someone as gorgeous as him to show up. You weren't quite what I thought you would be. Quite plain really.'

'Well I'm sure you've been here all day and are so bored you _would_ imagine up a picture of the wife of a newly married man.' Anne said coldly. 'I may not look like the perfect partner for him, but I am. And if he thinks so too, then I needn't worry about what you think.'

'I know you're the perfect partner for me, Anne.' Frederick's soft voice came from behind her, and she turned around to see him look tenderly at her, and then look with narrowing eyes towards the cashier girl.

'I meant what I said about her being beautiful. And you may not see it, but you don't know her. But I know her, and her friends know her, and we know she is beautiful, and you will not say one more word against her.' Frederick grabbed their belongings from the counter. 'Goodbye.'

The girl rolled her eyes indifferently. 'Whatever. Stupid sentimental people.' she muttered.

With an odd feeling of victory, Anne followed Frederick out of the shop and to the car. 'Don't worry about her, Anne', he said, still angry that she had such things about his Anne.

He opened the car door and put their things on the seat, unprepared for Anne clutching him and turning him around to face her.

'I don't, Frederick. Her words mean nothing to me. Knowing I have your love means more to me than anything else. And I don't intend on letting anyone persuade me that I don't deserve you. After what we've been through, I don't care what anyone else has to say. I only care what you have to say…and I know what you say.'

Frederick took hold of her hand. 'You are the perfect partner for me.' He repeated his words from before and kissed her softly on the lips and they stood leaning against the car holding each other, Frederick stroking her hair. 'I love you.'

Anne could not remember ever feeling happier or more loved. Eight years ago when they had first professed their love for each other she would have said the same thing. She didn't think she could love him any more then she did at that time. But eight years later, now that their love had been tested, she could not imagine having a greater love for someone.

As another car pulled up to the petrol station Frederick kissed her once more.

'Let's go, Anne.'

They separated so she could get in the other side of the car and Frederick drove out of the station while Anne sipped her frozen coke thoughtfully.

'Did you say I looked older and more careworn, Frederick?'

'I said you _did_ look older and careworn.'

'And now…'

Frederick shifted the gear to cruise and looked at her; Anne's face had a healthy flush and the spark in her eyes that had reappeared with Frederick's love made her look like she was glowing.

'I think you look beautiful, love,' and he kissed her.


End file.
